Tamil writer Sowba, arrested for killing son, dies

Madurai / Chennai: Popular Tamil writer Sowba aka Soundarapandian, arrested recently for murdering his son, died at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai today. He was 55 and is survived by his wife.

It was during the first week of May that he was arrested for murdering his son, 27-year-old Vipin, an alleged drug addict, for troubling the family. Sowba was lodged in Madurai central jail.

A few days ago, the author of Seevalaperi Pandi had health issues and was shifted to the GRH’s prison ward.

On Saturday, as his health condition worsened, he was moved to the ICU of the hospital. Sources said he fell unconscious on Sunday and breathed his last during the wee hours of today.

The writer's crime and his death are a shock to many as he was well-known in literary and media circles.

The case unfolded after Sowba’s estranged wife Latha lodged a missing person complaint after she had failed to contact her son.

She had called up her estranged husband to ask about Vipin, who took turns to stay with both parents. Sowba replied that he had admitted Vipin to a rehabilitation centre, but when she pressed him for details, he refused to say anything more. This forced her to file a police complaint.

According to the police, when they questioned Sowba, he told them that his son was a drug-addict and picked fights with him. During one such fight, Sowba beat Vipin with an iron rod, leading to his instant death.

Sowba said he then took the body to his farmhouse in Dindigul and cremated it. He was later arrested for the crime.